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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · land · lie · chair · fan · coach · court · ball

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. court — of law
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lie — to recline
  9. court — for sport
  10. land — ground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com